Friday, April 11, 2014

A dual approach or non-approach to Non-duality.

In a tradition which defines itself as 'wholeness' or non-duality (not two), one often finds a vast array of teachings, concepts, methods, no-methods and ideas.On the one side of the line there are the traditional progressive paths which lay emphasis on practice, traditional teachings, having a 'teacher', and 'time'. On the other side, one finds absolutist nondual teachings which emphasise no-effort, no-method, no-teacher, absence, and an approach based purely on "pointers" or infusion via knowledge and innate insight. In the middle lie 'Direct experience' type teachings.The fact that 'people' have 'awoken' via all manner of means along this line shows that there is no 'one right way' or 'one correct' method that can ever be applied for everyone and in every situation. The key that fits my conditioned lock probably doesn't fit his or her conditioned lock.One balanced way of approaching Non-duality may be to take a two-pronged approach by incorporating the use of both apparent progressive practices and 'pointers'.I won't go into actual practices here, though some of the more efficacious ones may be found in the traditions of self-inquiry, attention to bare awareness, shikantaza, jnana yoga, and direct-investigation-analysis-contemplations as found in some Buddhist and Non-dual traditions. Whatever works initially and immediately is probably a good indication.As for 'pointers', again, certain Non-dual pointers will either hit the mark immediately and with a noticeable shift, or not at all. Though contemplating a pointer until one's brain explodes is an efficient practice in itself.There's no logical reason to dismiss either progressive paths, or intellectually-heavy pointer paths, though one certainly finds a tendency for individuals (read "teachers") who have invested a large amount of 'no self' in either of these paths to dismiss the other side. Don't fall for this trap.But then again, if "we" are meant to fall for this trap, we probably will anyway.Now, back to what we were doing.. :)